Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Wellness Tip: Liver Cleanse!

So...I will do this if you do it--

Actually I will be doing it regardless, but come on, do it with me. Cleaning my liver sounds terrifying...oh, if only we were made like some assembly toy where we could take a part the limb or organ that needed a good scrubbing, but we are not, thus we must keep our bodies in fine running condition.

Why clean the liver? Well, it does a lot and we--with our American way of eating and drinking--do a lot to it. The liver helps to regulate hormones (including estrogen). It helps metabolize carbs, stores and processes vitamins, helps maintain healthy sugar levels and creates bile which helps break down the fat in the food we eat, among other really great things. The fact that the liver helps to break down fat is enough for me be all gung-ho in making sure it's functioning well.

How do you cleanse your liver? Well...of course we ALWAYS want to drink lots of water. The rule of thumb with water drinking--drink half your body weight in ounces of water, ie. if you were to weigh 100 pounds then you would drink 50 ounces of water.

You will need: 6 quarts apple cider
6 teaspoons Epsom salts
½ cup cold-pressed olive oil
½ cup lemon juice
The liver & gallbladder cleanse is an important detoxifying agent. It helps restore normal functional capacity of the liver & gallbladder and if an individual has gallstones
NOTE:
A. This cleanse is NOT recommended for:
1. people under 25 years of age
2. pregnant women, or
3. people with known large gallstones (larger than a dime … this can be determined by an ultrasound). These individuals can still do this cleanse, but MUST FIRST have the large gallstones shattered by sound waves by their doctor.
B. Plan to stay home the evening of the 6th day.
LISTED BELOW ARE THE STEPS TO FOLLOW:
1. Day 1 through 6, drink 1 quart of apple cider DAILY (fresh extracted vegetable juices may be substituted for apple cider).
 It is preferable that you purchase additive-free apple cider.
 Keep your diet vegetarian style (fat free) for a more thorough cleansing. Eat as much as you like of fat free foods.
 Continue with your regular supplements.
2. At noon on Day 6 eat a normal vegetarian lunch.
3. Three hours later, take two teaspoons of epsom salts dissolved in about one ounce of hot water. That taste may be objectionable to some people. If so you may follow Epsom salts with a little citrus juice (fresh squeezed if possible).
4. Two hours later, repeat step three.
5. Four your evening meal on Day 6 you may have only citrus juices or citrus fruits (eg. grapefruits, oranges, etc.)
6. At bedtime, in a blender, whip ½ cup of warm olive oil (cold-pressed) with ½ cup of lemon juice. (It is better to use fresh lemon juice, but bottled juice is permissible.)
 Drink the mixture quickly – do not sip slowly.
 (Some people occasionally reported slight to moderate nausea when taking the olive oil & lemon juice. This nausea will slowing disappear when you go to bed. If the olive oil induces vomiting, you need not repeat the procedure. This occurs only in rare instances.)
7. Following step six, go immediately to bed. Lie on your right side with your right knee pulled up close to your chest for at least 30 minutes.
8. The next morning, one hour before breakfast, take two teaspoons of epsom salts dissolved in two ounces of hot water.
9. Resume your normal diet on Day 7 & continue your normal nutritional supplements.
NOTE:
People who have chronically suffered from gallstones, biliousness, backaches, nausea, etc. occasionally find small gallstone-type objects in the stool on Day 7. These objects are light green in colour. They are very irregular in shape, gelatinous in texture, and vary in size from grape seeds to cherry pits. If there are several of these in the stool, you should repeat the liver cleanse in two weeks.